


We could fight a war for peace

by smaragdbird



Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-05
Updated: 2018-08-05
Packaged: 2019-06-22 04:59:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15574317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smaragdbird/pseuds/smaragdbird
Summary: They live to fight another day.





	We could fight a war for peace

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EternalEclipse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EternalEclipse/gifts).



Keeli had always known that he would die on the battle field. It was what he had been born for. Protecting the Twi’leks and giving them enough time to escape had been his mission and with the arrival of the Republic reinforcements he had fulfilled that mission. When he had taken the two shots to the chest as he fought side by side with his general he had felt no regret, no fear. He had been prepared to meet death.

He had not been prepared to wake up in a med-bay, smelling like bacta and with General Di sleeping in a chair by his bedside. The only light in the room came from the monitors so it had to be on night cycle. Keeli listened for the quiet hum of a space ship and found it. It was a sound he was so used to that he never noticed it until he was actively searching for it.

Only now he saw that one of General Di’s hands was resting on the sheets close to his own. Maybe he had even held it before he had fallen asleep. The thought filled Keeli with warmth and affection towards his general. In the months since they had started working together he had come to greatly admire General Di. He never demanded anything from the men he wouldn’t do himself.

In training Keeli had learned that the Jedi were valuable and since there were only so few of them, they would need to be protected. But General Di had never acted as if he was any different from Keeli or his brothers.

Carefully Keeli moved his hand and rested it lightly over Di’s. The skin felt drier than that of a human and leatherier but also warmer. Keelie could vaguely recall feeling that warmth just before he had lost consciousness.

Even though he had tried to keep his touch light it was enough to stir Di from his sleep. “Captain”, he said, his voice sounding a little rougher than usual but his mouth curving into a smile, “How do you feel?”

“I’m fine, sir”, Keeli replied truthfully. Apart from the tingling sensation left by the bacta on his skin and a bone-deep fatigue, he felt perfectly healthy.

“Good”, Di smiled and moved his hand slightly so that he could properly grasp Keeli’s one instead of just having it rest above his lightly. 

“How are you, sir?” Keeli asked, because even though Di looked fine didn’t mean that he was.

“I’m fine, just like you, Captain”, Di reassured him. 

“I am curious how we survived”, Keeli asked. After all he had taken two blaster bolts to the chest. People usually didn’t walk away from that.

Di nodded as if he had expected that question. “I got word that reinforcements had arrived just after you were shot”, he explained and did Keeli imagine it or was there a slight change to the colour of his cheeks? “When I was shot down as well I linked our life forces through the Force so that we could go both survive until we were rescued.”

Keeli frowned. “Didn’t that diminish your own chances of survival?”

“I had a chance to safe you, Captain, and I was not going to pass that up”, DI replied which was both an answer and not one at all. “I would’ve done it for any of the men”, he added just when Keeli was about to ask if he had done it because they had been sleeping together for the last three months. 

“Good”, Keeli replied. Their arrangement was meant to be stress relief and an expression for their mutual affection but nothing more than that. More wasn’t allowed. Neither of them could afford to be emotionally compromised in their jobs.

“But I am glad that it was you”, Di said nonetheless. It was hints like these that let Keeli know that if circumstances had been different, Di would not hesitate to commit to him.

“I am not going to argue with you about my survival”, Keeli smiled. He tugged at Di’s hand and moved slightly to the side so that he could sit on the bed with him. Di of course understood and followed his lead.

It was risky to be like this in a med bay recovery room but given that it was night cycle and the ship was probably in hyperspace, Keeli felt confident that no one was going to barge in without a warning first.

“Where are we going next?” Keeli asked after Di had settled beside him, one arm wrapped around his shoulders while the other one was holding his hand. 

“Back to Coruscant for now”, Di replied, his voice nothing more than a low rumble. “Master Kenobi and the 212th have taken over our mission to free Ryloth.”

Keeli nodded. Their company was dead safe for him and the general. They would be assigned to new troops, more of his brothers that he would send to their death. Just because this had been their purpose all their lives didn’t mean that he had to like it. 

He could feel the fatigue in his bones clamouring for more sleep but for now he struggled against it even though his eye lids felt as if they were made of lead. But he wanted to enjoy a few more moments with Di being this close. Who knew when the next time was going to be, if there was going to be a next time at all.

Di however knew him better than that. He pushed slightly at Keeli’s shoulders until his head was resting against Di’s arm. Then he leaned over and kissed him softly and Keeli responded in kind. “Sleep, Keeli, we both need our rest. I’m not going anywhere.”

It was not really a promise either of them could make, but for now it was true enough. The weight of Di’s arm around him, their hands tangled together, that all made him feel safe and content. Whatever the future would bring, on whatever battlefield they would die, Keeli was prepared to meet his end.


End file.
